A highway infrastructure traffic safety performance evaluation method based on accident aggregation indicator

In recent years, with the extending highway construction scale in mountain areas, there is lack of traffic safety facilities in some mountain areas. The problems of unreasonable and irregular traffic guarantee engineering construction stand out. Especially in rural highway in mountain areas with complex topography, the traffic accident rates are increasing, causing lots of dead and economic losses. Studying deeply on rural highway traffic safety problems in mountain areas and improving rural highway traffic safety level are the problems that we need to solve urgently. This essay analyzes the law of rural highway traffic accidents in mountain areas and makes a conclusion that the existing problems in rural highway safety managements in mountain areas at present. Based on this, this essay analyzes systematically the influent factors of rural highway traffic safety and a conclusion can be drew that the frequent rural highway traffic accidents in mountain areas not only are caused by bad line type for roads and no security arrangements are set. At last, based on macro-management level, it proposes a series of positive highway safety management countermeasures including strengthening traffic safety education, establishing traffic safety management system, improving passenger transport policy and management system, formulating dangerous sections inspection mechanisms.

The quantity and damage degree caused by the traffic accidents on trunk highways always take the big part in the highway traffic accidents. Now, there are no more and complete evaluation methods for the trunk highway traffic safety. Whats more, the index system is not perfect. Based on the characters of traffic safety on trunk highways and feasible factors of information collection, this article confirms 3-level evaluation index system for 20 evaluation indexes and the evaluation methods for trunk highway traffic safety based on AHP. Taking Xiake Blvd of Jiangyin City as example, this article analyzes and proves the efficiency and feasibility of these methods. The evaluation results can provide the basis for the improvement of highway traffic safety.

Traffic accident increased periodically in alarming rate and it was a serious problem throughout the globe particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. This research concerns on Analyzing Road Traffic Accident in Ethiopia from 2007/08-2017/18. The main objective of the study was to investigate the growth rate of road traffic accident, road network coverage and motorized vehicle, and relationship between them in the past elven (11) year. In order to address the required objective the study use secondary data collected from Ethiopia federal police commission, Ethiopia road authority and Ethiopia federal transport authority. Basically, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis approach was used to analyze the data. The finding of the study revealed that; in the past eleven year more than 291577 Road traffic accident, 912956km road network and 681000 motorized vehicles were developed. Due to Road traffic accident Ethiopia loses around 36.3 billion birr (estimated 1.3 billion $ in current exchange rate of 28 birr for 1$) in the past eleven (11) year in Ethiopia. In average annually Ethiopia loses around 0.9% of budget due to traffic accident in the past eleven year. Average annual growth rate of road traffic accident, road network development and motorized vehicle were 9.16%, 10.81% and 13.34% respectively. In Ethiopia in the past eleven (11) years more than 276491 road traffic accidents, 912956km road network and 681000 number of motorized vehicle were newly introduced since 2007/08 in the study period. The variation on road traffic accident, road network coverage in km and motorized vehicle between commencement of study period (2007/08) or Ethiopia millennium (2000E.C) with end of the study period (2017/18) were estimated around 25914, 82414 and 563003 respectively. Finally, the study intend that road traffic accident had no direct or indirect relation with growth of motorized vehicle and road network coverage in Ethiopia. To curb the problem faced due to road traffic accident the government and other stakeholder must careful the issues to minimize road traffic accidents in Ethiopia.

Recent research indicates that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted road traffic operation quality. From the perspective of service level, safety level, and operation orderliness, this study attempts to analyze the limited responses of the operation quality of the provincial expressway network (PEN) to the impact of COVID-19. The traffic operation data of the PEN in Shaanxi Province were collected for three consecutive years (from 2019 to 2021) before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, including weekly average daily traffic, weekly traffic interruption times, weekly traffic control time, weekly traffic accidents, weekly traffic injuries, and weekly traffic deaths. Through descriptive statistics and dynamic analysis, we studied the limited responses of the safety and service levels of the PEN to the impact of COVID-19. An evaluation model of operation orderliness of the PEN was established by using dissipative structure theory and entropy theory. Results show that in 2020, the service level, safety level, and operation orderliness of the PEN dropped to their lowest. With the gradual control of pandemic, its negative impacts on the service level and operation orderliness of the PEN gradually decreased but did not recover to the pre-pandemic level. In terms of the safety level, the number of traffic accidents, traffic injuries, and traffic deaths decreased, whereas the traffic accident rate and accident casualty rate remained high. In summary, the operation quality of the PEN in Shaanxi Province has had a limited response to the impact of COVID-19.

A traffic accident analysis method based on the accident risk index according to the combination of alignment elements is developed and tested applying geographic information systems (GIS). This study is based on crash experience on curves of 4lane expressways in Korea from 1996 2000, and that finding relates only to curves. Impacts of alignment elements on traffic accidents have been identified by examining accidents that occurred under different alignment conditions and by investigating traffic accident risk indices (TARI). Traffic accident rates are estimated more reasonably by considering the interaction between alignment factors and the design consistency. Traffic accident risk indices and risk grades are suggested in the traffic accident data-based approach. Finally, estimating traffic accident rates, evaluating the level of risk and then visualizing information graphically by means of GIS are combined into one system called the risk rating system. This risk rating system is expected to play a major role in designing expressways and developing countermeasures for expressway sections susceptible to traffic accidents.

ObjectiveTo identify determinants of regional differences in traffic accident mortality in Italy.Data and methodsMultiple linear regression models were conducted assessing the associations between regional differences in traffic mortality, case fatality and accident rates (dependent variables) with socio-demographic factors, and variables describing road behaviour, vehicles, infrastructure and medical care (independent variables). Data were derived from the National Institute of Statistics, the National Institute of Health and the Italian Automobile Club. In addition to analyses for the whole country of Italy, separate models were conducted for Northern and southern regions.ResultsIn Italy large regional differences in traffic mortality rates can be observed, ranging from 5.5 to 20 per 100.000 person-years. There is a North-South gradient with higher mortality rates in the Northern part of Italy. Strong predictors of regional differences in both traffic mortality and accident rates are the employment rate (directly associated) and alcohol use (directly associated). This is observed in the whole of Italy, and separately in Northern and southern regions.ConclusionOur study has shown the need for regional policies to improve road behaviour to reduce traffic accident and mortality rates in identified high-risk areas.

SummaryBackgroundDrink driving is an important risk factor for road traffic accidents (RTAs), which cause high levels of morbidity and mortality globally. Lowering the permitted blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for drivers is a common public health intervention that is enacted in countries and jurisdictions across the world. In Scotland, on Dec 5, 2014, the BAC limit for drivers was reduced from 0·08 g/dL to 0·05 g/dL. We therefore aimed to evaluate the effects of this change on RTAs and alcohol consumption.MethodsIn this natural experiment, we used an observational, comparative interrupted time-series design by use of data on RTAs and alcohol consumption in Scotland (the interventional group) and England and Wales (the control group). We obtained weekly counts of RTAs from police accident records and we estimated weekly off-trade (eg, in supermarkets and convenience stores) and 4-weekly on-trade (eg, in bars and restaurants) alcohol consumption from market research data. We also used data from automated traffic counters as denominators to calculate RTA rates. We estimated the effect of the intervention on RTAs by use of negative binomial panel regression and on alcohol consumption outcomes by use of seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models. Our primary outcome was weekly rates of RTAs in Scotland, England, and Wales. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN38602189.FindingsWe assessed the weekly rate of RTAs and alcohol consumption between Jan 1, 2013, and Dec 31, 2016, before and after the BAC limit came into effect on Dec 5, 2014. After the reduction in BAC limits for drivers in Scotland, we found no significant change in weekly RTA rates after adjustment for seasonality and underlying temporal trend (rate ratio 1·01, 95% CI 0·94–1·08; p=0.77) or after adjustment for seasonality, the underlying temporal trend, and the driver characteristics of age, sex, and socioeconomic deprivation (1·00, 0·96–1·06; p=0·73). Relative to RTAs in England and Wales, where the reduction in BAC limit for drivers did not occur, we found a 7% increase in weekly RTA rates in Scotland after this reduction in BAC limit for drivers (1·07, 1·02–1·13; p=0·007 in the fully-adjusted model). Similar findings were observed for serious or fatal RTAs and single-vehicle night-time RTAs. The change in legislation in Scotland was associated with no change in alcohol consumption, measured by per-capita off-trade sales (−0·3%, −1·7 to 1·1; p=0·71), but a 0·7% decrease in alcohol consumption measured by per-capita on-trade sales (−0·7%, −0·8 to −0·5; p<0·0001).InterpretationLowering the driving BAC limit to 0·05 g/dL from 0·08 g/dL in Scotland was not associated with a reduction in RTAs, but this change was associated with a small reduction in per-capita alcohol consumption from on-trade alcohol sales. One plausible explanation is that the legislative change was not suitably enforced—for example with random breath testing measures. Our findings suggest that changing the legal BAC limit for drivers in isolation does not improve RTA outcomes. These findings have significant policy implications internationally as several countries and jurisdictions consider a similar reduction in the BAC limit for drivers.FundingNational Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme.

The highway traffic scene is relatively simple, the traffic flow is small but the speed of traffic is fast. The traffic accidents on highways are sudden and harmful. Based on highway traffic monitoring video, this paper uses machine learning to accurately detect vehicles on the highways and extract the vehicle trajectory. Then, the background extraction algorithm is used to extract the highway lane boundary lines. According to the change of vehicle trajectory and the position relationship between vehicle trajectory and lane boundary lines, the occurrence of highway traffic accidents can be detected. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve good results in traffic accident detection rate and false alarm rate, and can accurately detect the occurrence of highway traffic accidents under different lighting conditions and traffic environment with strong robustness.

ABSTRACTObjective: This study aimed to describe the trends of motorization and mortality rates from road traffic accidents and examine their associations in a rapidly urbanizing city in China, Shenzhen.Methods: Using data from the Shenzhen Deaths Registry between 1994 and 2013, we calculated the annual mortality rates of road traffic accidents, in addition to the age- and sex-specific mortality rates and their annual percentage changes (APCs) for the period of 2000–2013. We also examined the associations between mortality rate of road traffic accidents and traffic growth with Spearman's rank correlation analysis and a log-linear model derived from Smeed's law.Results: A total of 20,196 deaths due to road traffic accidents, including 14,391 (71.3%) male deaths and 5,805 (28.7%) female deaths, were recorded in Shenzhen from 1994 to 2013. The annual mortality rates in terms of deaths per population and deaths per vehicle changed in similar patterns, demonstrating an increase since 1994 and peaking in 1997, followed by a steady decrease thereafter. The decrease in mortality was faster in individuals aged 20 year or older compared to those younger than 20 years. The mortality rates in term of deaths per population were positively correlated with the total number of vehicles per kilometer of road but negatively correlated with the motorization rate in term of vehicles per population. The estimated model for deaths due to road traffic accidents in relation to the total population and the number of registered vehicles was ln (deaths/10,000 vehicles) = −1.902 × ln (vehicles/population) − 1.961. The coefficient was statistically significant (P < .001) and the coefficient of determination was 0.966, indicating a good model fit.Conclusions: We described a generally decreasing trend in the mortality rates of road traffic accidents in a rapidly urbanizing Chinese city based observations in the 20-year period from 1994 to 2013. The decreased mortality rate may be explained by the expansion of road network construction, improved road safety regulations and management, as well as more accessible ambulance services in recent years. Nevertheless, road traffic accidents remain a universal problem of great public health concern in the whole population.

Comparison of Multivariate Regression Models and Artificial Neural Networks for Prediction Highway Traffic Accidents in Spain: A Case Study

A combined and thorough medical and engineering study of road traffic accidents in Iraq is presented in this paper. The medical investigation covered about 1500 road traffic accident patients transported by ambulance to various hospitals in Baghdad. In most cases, the medical survey team covered the diagnosis of the injury as soon as it was confirmed and death at the moment of arrival of the patient to the emergency department of the hospital. Multi-organ injury was predominating and the required injuries were performed successfully for single organ injury but the chance of successful operation decreased as the number of injured organs increased. To arrive at the major cause of death and/ or heavy injured road traffic accident patients, analysis of speed of vehicles on rural highways in Iraq was made. The traffic engineering study revealed that high speed of vehicles, exceeding the design speed of the highway with abnormality of spot speed distribution, was the major reason of such severe accidents. Death rate from road traffic accident in Iraq is 44.7 which makes Iraq the fourth country in the rate of road traffic accidents. Road traffic accidents are leading cause of both internal and external injuries and major cause of death. This paper reveals that liver, spleen and neck were the most reported organ injuries in road traffic accidents in Iraq. Pre hospital care, time between the crash and the admission to a trauma center and the availability of trauma center can affect significantly the outcome of the crash. Similarly, the use of seat belt, front and sideway airbags can decrease the rate of organs injuries due to road traffic accidents. A comparison of results of this study with those in other studies in different countries is presented and both agreements and disagreements are discussed.

Road traffic accidents (RTA) are commonly encountered incidents that can cause injuries, death, and property damage to members of society. Ethiopia is one of the highest incident rates of road traffic accidents. Report of Transport and Communication from 2012 to 2014, shows an increment in the number of traffic accidents in Ethiopia. Amhara region accounted for 27.3% of the total road traffic accident-related deaths in Ethiopia during the year 2008/9, which is the highest share among all regions in Ethiopia. The current research aims to model the trend of injury, fatal and total road traffic accidents in the Amhara region from September 2013 to May 2017. Monthly reported traffic accidents were obtained from the traffic department of the Amhara region police commission. The most universal class of models for forecasting time series data called Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) models were applied to model the trends and patterns of road traffic accident cases in the Amhara region. The average number of observed injury RTA, fatal RTA, and total RTA were 27.2, 14, and 78.2 per month respectively. It was observed that a relatively large number of RTA’s are reported on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday relative to other days of the week. The data also reveals that more than 60% of accidents involve drivers between the ages of 18–30 years. ARIMA (2,0,0) (1,0,0) ARIMA (2,0,0) and ARIMA (2,0,0) (1,1,0) were fitted as the best model for total injury accidents, fatal RTA and total RTA data respectively. A 48 months forecast was made based on the fitted models and it can be concluded that road traffic accident cases would continue at the non-decreasing rate in the Amhara region for the predicted periods. Therefore, the findings of this study draw attention to the importance of implementing improved better policies and close monitoring of road trafficking to change the existing non-decreasing trend of road traffic accidents in the region.

Optimal transport network design for both traffic safety and risk equity considerations

Level crossings between railway and highway causes transportation problems in the form of traffic jams and accidents. The Manahan Flyover development in the Surakarta city is an effort to minimize transportation problems in the Manahan and Kota Barat areas. Field condition shows that traffic congestion in the Manahan Flyover can be minimized, but traffic accident rate is increasing. Within nine months an accident occurred with two dead victims. The potential of traffic accident is inseparable with the design of the Manahan Flyover with the design of three-way intersection. The aim of study is to redesign traffic movement in the Manahan Flyover and surrounding Manahan area. Traffic micro-simulation VISSIM model is used to evaluate the performance of road networks at peak traffic conditions with different simulation models. The scenario simulation model is developed based on the calibrated base simulation model. In order to avoid potential accidents, therefore, the direction of traffic movement at the Manahan Flyover is made with a one-way system. The modelling scenario results indicate that the diversion of traffic movement at the Manahan Flyover must be followed by various traffic management and engineering efforts in the Manahan area including road widening, parking management, application of a one-way system.

Building the dual prevention mechanism is a new way to solve traffic safety problems. At present, in the field of highways, the dual prevention mechanism of operational safety risk graded control and accident hazard investigation and management has not been perfected. The deep-seated contradictions and problems that restrict highway operation safety have not changed. Based on the dual prevention model of highway operation safety, this paper studied and established basic databases such as "safety risk and accident hazard map", "safety risk and accident hazard database", and "responsibility list" for highway operation safety. Using modern information technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and big data, a dual prevention intelligent control system for highway operation safety was developed. The system includes eight modules such as highway operation safety risk control, accident hazard investigation and management, emergency management, and safety education, which realizes the accurate identification, intelligent classification, real-time analysis, and dynamic control of highway operation safety risks and hazards. The results of the application of nearly 1,000 kilometers of highway projects in Guangdong Province, Hebei Province, etc. show that the system has improved the safety of highway operations and the efficiency of hazard detection. A large amount of labor, transportation and other highway safety management costs can be saved every year. This system effectively promoted the systematization, standardization and refinement of highway operation safety management.